This chapter is a summary (this is the sum) of chapters 3-7. After the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, He becomes the great High Priest of Heaven.

Heavenly Priest

High priest, not low on the earth.

He administrates in heavenly things, so if your going into heaven you’re going through the high priest in the heavens.

Not an earthly priest. So your life, at least right now, is up there.

Right hand to the throne of Majesty

Like Joseph to Pharaoh

Like Mordecai to Ahasuerus in Persia

Like Daniel to Darius in Persia

First covenant was a shadow.

Supreme priest

The Levitical priesthood was limited to the Jews.

Christ’s priesthood is so broad in scope that in includes both Jews and Gentiles.

Priest of the most high God

Melchisedec is a priest of the Most High God and Melchisedec lives before there is a distinction between Jew and Gentile.

Royal priest

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Revelation 5:9-10 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Spiritual priest

Levites were the sons responsible for priesthood – Levitical priesthood.

Jesus Christ is not from a priestly family (Hebrews 7:14)

…without father, without mother, without descent…

No priestly heritage

Perfect priest

If the first covenant had been faultless… (vs 7)

Changes are necessary in the priesthood

For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. (vs 12)

So that means the rules change.

People say folks were saved the same way in the Old Testament as they are in the New Testament, and that is clearly not true.

The thing that will not change is faith in God’s words. What will change is what God will be telling people to do in the New Testament.

Law said this, but I say unto you…

Matthew 5:22 anger

Matthew 5:28 adultery

Matthew 5:32 marriage

Matthew 5:34 swearing

Matthew 5:39 resistance

Matthew 5:44 love enemies

Fatherly priest

Not on tables of stone, but on their heart and in their mind.

People would be wired with God’s law, not wired with division.

No more sin in this priesthood

The law made provision for sinners to be high priests. If you remember in the law a priest had to first perform his own sacrifices in order to be sanctified to minister in the temple for others. So the law identified sinners as priests.

Jesus Christ’s priesthood no longer needed to make provision for a sinner to be priest. The basis for this priesthood would be holy.

Eternal priest

Immortal priesthood

…having neither beginning of days nor end of life: but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

In the Levitical setup a priest would minister from 30-50 years old.

No more death in this priesthood

Wages of sin no longer apply in Christ’s priesthood. The wages of sin is death. Death would be the constant companion under the law. No matter how good the priest was, the shadow of death lingered over his calling. Eventually death would put an end to that good man’s priesthood.

The wages of sin would be done away with in Christ’s priesthood.

Just as death would put an end to a priest’s priesthood, the law could only go so far. And where that priesthood ended, at death, Jesus Christ’s priesthood would begin. What the law was incapable of doing, Jesus Christ would do. The law went as far as death for the priesthood and could go no further. Jesus Christ’s priesthood would begin where the law would end.

As Paul said, the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. And literally, the Lord Jesus Christ’s priesthood would begin where the former priesthood would fail and come to its end.

No more separation from God in this priesthood

Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Law was unable to bring anyone to God. In fact, the law made sure that man did not come close to God. The veil, the walls, the separation from God and the people was built into the law and the architecture.

Intercession is mediation. Intervening on behalf of someone else.

Consider even the architecture under the law was changed when the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom.